Dominance Occupies the Houses of the Weak
Yemeni mp
Ahmed Saif Hashed
That day, the ghosts in my consciousness became something of the past; they held no reality. Perhaps they appeared to me as mere illusions in the minds of those who believed in their existence. I came to believe that they left no trace, no presence. This conviction felt solid and strong, though a certain ambiguity lingered in my interpretation of those two “incidents” from my childhood: the snake I saw on the ground and the haggard old woman I encountered in the mirror. Nevertheless, I still believed there must be some scientific explanation or approach to understanding them, one that certainly diverges from what is commonly accepted in people’s consciousness.
I was no longer that child who feared ghosts and darkness; instead, I began to seek out those phantoms, finding none. I offered numerous interpretations for the ghost stories I heard, except for the assumption of their existence. Yet, something strange occurred—an event worthy of inquiry or scientific explanation, far removed from what is entrenched in popular consciousness. I emphasize once more that my discussion here is purely a matter of epistemological questioning. It is essential to know the truth of reality as it is, to correct the beliefs and misconceptions that dominate people’s minds, and to reveal what remains obscure, ambiguous, or resistant to understanding.
* * *
I had come to hold the certainty that ghosts exist only in the minds of people. During a visit to my family and our home in the village, the mysterious stirred and sparked curiosity. On the first night of my visit, just before I fell asleep alongside my family, I heard footsteps, running, and lively movement on the roof of the room where we slept. Family members commented on what we heard: one said, “It’s nothing,” another remarked, “It’s their time,” while a third added, “They know it’s bedtime,” and a fourth stated, “Now they’re gathered.” The household had grown accustomed to such occurrences, but I saw it as an opportunity to explore the matter and experience it for myself.
What struck me most was that I was not alone in hearing what I heard; we all heard it, in detail. Every movement resonated with all of us—none among us could perceive what the others did not. We could hear a running sound akin to children playing on the roof, followed by lively movements, as if some individuals were pacing back and forth across the rooftop. Then came the sound of very heavy footsteps, seemingly belonging to a sizable person; one could count the steps as they walked. In truth, I did not feel fear; rather, I sensed it was my opportunity to investigate and uncover the mystery of what was happening and why!
I asked my brother Abdulkarim how long this strange phenomenon had been occurring. He replied:
– “For over a month! It repeats daily. As soon as we settle down to sleep, we hear these sounds. I’ve been puzzled and resorted to various tricks to uncover the secret behind this strange occurrence. I consulted several people whose opinions I trust, but none of their answers were convincing or helpful.”
He continued:
– “I sought the advice of someone known as ‘the Mister,’ but what he said was unconvincing. I tried numerous cognitive methods to observe what was happening and to attempt to reveal it. I scattered ashes on the roof in hopes of finding a footprint or any sign of passage, but to no avail. I even attempted to set up a trap with a detonator and a string that would explode upon the passage of any object, but it accidentally detonated above my mother! In any case, I reached no conclusion worthy of any reliance or concern. When I descend from the roof to sleep, and as soon as I close the door to the room, we hear what you’re hearing now. I go to investigate, yet I find nothing of what I seek. I search every corner of the house, but I discover no trace of anything strange or unusual.”
* * *
After he explained what he had done, my curiosity grew, igniting a fervent desire to understand what was happening. I felt it was essential to rely on my own experience and senses, attempting to explore the matter myself. I took my rifle, loaded it, and readied it to fire, placing my finger on the trigger. I crept up to the roof and spent an hour observing the surroundings.
I saw nothing! I heard nothing unusual; rather, silence enveloped and enveloped the place completely. Stillness prevailed and dominated the atmosphere. I returned to the room where my family and I could hear everything. I climbed back up to the roof, yet again I heard nothing, while my family in the room watched the situation unfold from their vantage point, unaffected by the sounds above.
I turned on my flashlight, searching the roof and everything connected to it, but I found nothing. I could hear only my movements and the breaths I tried to quiet, compensating for them by widening my awareness to enhance my hearing. Descending once more to the room, I heard what everyone else was hearing. I returned to the roof, but there was nothing to see or hear. My confusion reached a level that drowned me in disbelief.
I felt a profound sense of failure, yet my curiosity persisted, refusing to yield, yearning to uncover the mysterious. I waited a moment in the room, and as soon as I heard a scurry on the roof, I rushed toward it, as if eager to catch my discovery in the act. I returned with renewed determination, fueled by a passionate desire for knowledge and stubborn resolve. Yet again, I found nothing unusual on the roof. I lingered long enough to feel boredom and weariness, noticing nothing at all, hearing only an oppressive silence akin to that of graves. I searched every corner of the house, but still found and heard nothing. I wondered in confusion: how could I be on the roof and hear nothing, while the sounds continued for those in the room?
My efforts left me exhausted, and I was at a loss to uncover anything. I was eager to learn something that would explain the situation; my motivations were driven by a thirst for knowledge above all else. I did not overlook a single hypothesis or possibility; I considered them all. I tried every avenue, desperate to understand the reason behind the bewilderment that had taken over my thoughts. Instead of alleviating my confusion, it only grew, engulfing me in astonishment.
One of my relatives resorted to charms and incantations, along with some prayers, but the situation intensified over two days until it felt as though we were battling a fate intent on forcing us from our home under the weight of fear and terror. We refused to leave. We resisted the “occupation” of our dwelling with stubborn determination, unwilling to yield an inch.
The terror intensified as we confronted this fear, determined not to leave our home, no matter the cost of staying. This was the primary tenet of a homeland worthy of defense. That phrase, still resonant in my soul from the military parade at the Black Square in the military academy—”A homeland we do not protect, we do not deserve”—echoed vividly within me.
After two or three days of escalating intensity, during which we reached a peak of stubborn resilience, it felt as if we had been engaged in a battle akin to biting our fingers. Victory broke through, dispelling the manufactured fear. Everything ended in our favor; we won the war, and the ghosts “withdrew,” having lost their battle against us. Thus, the conflict unfolded in our imaginations, while the mystery of that experience remained in need of study, research, and understanding.
* * *
The enigma of what we endured continues to linger to this day, leaving my questions unanswered. I found no logic to support me or any compelling explanation to soothe my bewilderment about the reality of what occurred. The central question remained unanswered: What happened, and how? This does not imply acceptance of the existence of ghosts but rather highlights our need for knowledge and understanding to explain what transpired, or rather to clarify what we heard, and to dispel the ambiguity we experienced—a mystery we have often read and heard so much about from others.
There are many strange matters I have read about that require further illumination and scientific inquiry, away from superstitious interpretations. These include explorations into the capabilities of the mind and its horizons, the secrets and intricacies of the human brain, as well as the very nature of objective existence in many of its mysterious phenomena.
I encountered some of this in the book *Ghosts and Spirits* by the Egyptian author Anis Mansour. There are other books that delve into numerous hypotheses and facts about the hidden world, unseen forces, extraordinary abilities, those who have returned from death, spirit summoning, spiritual mediums, life after death, magic, hypnosis, telepathy, flying saucers, the sunken continent of Atlantis, and much more. The conclusion is clear: we need science to shed light on these phenomena, revealing their mysteries, contexts, and interpretations.
* * *
Today, everything earned through hard work and the entirety of one’s life, or through years of toil, can be seized in an instant, like the spoils of war. This begins with employee salaries, extends through citizenship rights, and the right to public service and employment, culminating in the confiscation of your home and that of those you support.
Ghosts, jinn, and spirits may leave your home with some talismans and incantations, or by reciting passages from the Quran, Torah, or Gospels. However, today’s robbers require more than mere rituals; they demand time and a greater reckoning. They have plundered the years of our past and seized the future of our children, exposing them to loss, uncertainty, and despair.
Yet, the will of the people remains stronger and more formidable. It is the force that brings an end to every oppressor, capable of creating a thousand resurrections and toppling all tyranny. However, everything in this life goes through its cycle—birth, growth, and decline—until it becomes mere history, no matter how powerful and tyrannical it once was.
* * *
Today, the bare minimum of our rights and freedoms is being squandered, threatening our very right to life in an unprecedented manner. The remnants of our liberties are increasingly constrained, trapped in a prison of tight restrictions, fading day by day until they become invisible to the naked eye. Dominance prevails through iron and fire, and tyranny, supported by unjust nations, dictates what it desires in a world that has lost justice, humanity, and conscience.
The robbers feel neither shame nor guilt as they speak of resilience and heroism, their minds filled with ignorance and arrogance. Meanwhile, the truth on the ground shouts: victories have dwindled to mere ruins, bleeding wounds, and the boundaries of disintegration drawn around them, in a homeland that has become fragmented and crumbling, fading away each day.
It is an era steeped in brutal cruelty, bordering on savage barbarism—an age of dominance, tyranny, and oppression. This era drags us back to a period of slavery more burdensome than all the servitudes that have marked our darkest history.
It is a time where those who wield power thrive, and every ruler acts upon their whims.
* * *
